I tried following the ridge all the way from near the saddle with Emerson and got cliffed out at a block/gendarme. Some fun scrambling, and great views of Humphreys. The gullies may once have been fall ice climbs, but that side of the mountain is bone-dry this year.

Taking chute past Emerson and traversing to skinny lake, then ascending west face via fun Class 2 and 3. Rather cold and windy, no snow issues. F'ing register can was way down a slot between boulders. Daria and I reconstructed the summit block trying to reach it. Finally, I stuck a leg down there, kicked it, then shoved 60% of my body between boulders to retrieve it. Very sketchy business just to sign a friggin piece of paper. :(
Can't wait to climb the couloirs once they fill up and freeze!

Day 6 of 2009 Sierra Challenge. I approached the peak from Piute Pass. I mistakenly went past the slender lake west of peak to climb a saddle to its north. After wasting an hour I got on the west face and got to the top of the peak. I followed Bob Burd's return route choice descending class 2 SE slopes, but unfortunately I had to regain much elevation later gaining a steep shoulder off Emerson/Piute Crags. Finally saw North Lake parking area to complete trip. I don't think I saved anytime on my return route.

On day 5 of the 2008 Sierra Challenge, climbed the West Face with Michael Graupe in a bit over three hours. I took the SE Slopes down and around the back side of Emerson and Piute Crags to make a big loop of things. Trip Report

2008 Sierra Challenge. Didn't hike all the way to Piute Pass but went straight up the drainage north of Piute Lake. This is probably the fastes way to get to the upper Humphreys Basin. Ascended the West Face too far to the south and had to traverse quite a bit to keep the climbing to class 3.

We got a really late start due to a few random complications but decided went for it anyway. Topped out at midnight and walked down the southeast slope. Needless to say it was a long day(s). Climbing at night is certainly a cool experience!

Climbed with awagher and rhyang. Pretty much what they said. The Kindergarten is pretty mellow (38 to 42 degree slope). Because my car could only go up to within 1/2 mile of the McGee Creek crossing, we had a much longer approach. All in all, a 15+ hour day. Yeah, that someone was me who opted for the direct way down....meant bushwacking and a return to my hay fever allergies. Lost count how many times I sneezed on the way down.

Lots of cold hard neve with a few patches of ice. I don't think the angle of this one ever exceeded 40 degrees - quite similar to the Dana Couloir in that respect. Well, maybe a little steeper at the very top, but not by much.

We soloed the first couple hundred feet to an ice patch, then roped up just to get the ropes off our backs. Miguel led the first pitch, then I led the second. The last pitch and a half or so we simulclimbed with Miguel in the lead. Used screws for belays - rock quality looked poor, though I think Miguel used a nut and a green alien to belay from the top.

Didn't bother with the class 2 choss-walk to the summit, but Miguel and Andrew decided to do it and saw down the Checkered Demon proper. They said it looked ugly.

Speaking of the right couloir - we spent a little time looking at the schrund before heading up the left. Looked to be about 10-20' of WI4, perhaps stemming off rock edges on the right, overhanging nastiness on the left.

Approach took us about 4 hours - we couldn't get all the way in to the trailhead and had to park around 7700'. Descended via the southeast slopes, initially in the Birch Creek drainage, then contouring north - a good use trail seemed to be present most of the way, until someone decided we had to take a more "direct" route, which resulted in a nasty bushwhack.

Did a little bouldering at the Buttermilks the day before. That was a good time...As far as the Checkered Demon-it was a long day out as a rope team of 3. We soloed the first pitch and then roped up for 3 and simul-climbed the last pitch and a half on hard 35 to 40+/- degree neve. There were only two large patches of ice in the whole couloir. Maybe it will shape up better in October.